Vibrating cup



4, 1969 ECONVERTINE 9.

VIBRATING CUP Filed March 21, 1968 United States Patent 3,425,689 VIBRATIN G CUP Frank Convertine, Massapequa, N.Y., assignor to A.

Freed Novelty, Inc., New York, N.Y., a domestic corporation Filed Mar. 21, 1968, Ser. No. 715,017

US. Cl. 272--27 Int. Cl. A63j 23/00; A6311 33/26 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to the field of novelties, and has for its objective the creation of an electrically-actuated coffee cup which has all of the outward appearances of a standard type of coffee cup when disposed on a saucer or other flat surface. However, when the cup is lifted from this flat surface an electric circuit is closed, located beneath a false bottom for the cup, causing rotation of an eccentric weight at the end of the shaft of a small motor making the cup shake and vibrate.

In the present state of the art there are to be found several varieties of buzzer toys or vibrating novelties which are provided with mechanisms including coil springs. These springs are wound up and tensioned, and held in such condition by some form of pawl or latch. The release of such locking element causes the toy or novelty to vibrate by the unwinding action of the coil spring.

No prior art has been found, however, which employs battery activation of a small motor in combination with an eccentrically disposed weight on its shaft, to cause vibration of the device, nor any form of vibrating device having the structure or elements of the type disclosed herein.

It is therefore the principal object of my invention to create a vibrating cup which is motionless when disposed on a flat surface, such as a saucer, but which begins to shake and vibrate when raised therefrom.

A second important object of my invention lies in the creation of a vibrating cup having its vibrating mechanism concealed below a false bottom adapted to be water-tight and covered over by a liquid beverage concealing its existence.

A third important object of my invention lies in the creation of a vibrating cup which is caused to vibrate by the actuation of a battery-operated motor concealed therein, when the cup is raised from a fiat surface.

A fourth important object of my invention lies in the provision of a vibrating cup which is caused to vibrate by the interior rotation of an eccentric weight secured to the shaft of a battery-driven motor.

Still another important operation of my invention lies in the provision of an electric circuit which is broken and closed by the use of an activating pin extending out of the bottom of the cup and thereby concealed from view.

Yet another important object lies in the construction of a cup of the type described which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

These and other salient objects, advantages and functional features of my invention, together with the novel 3,425,689 Patented Feb. 4, 1969 "ice features of construction, composition and arrangement of parts, will be more readily apparent from an examination of the following description, taken with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a preferred embodiment of my invention, as normally disposed on its accompanying saucer;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side, cross-sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the internal activating mechanism of my invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the false bottom disc and the activating mechanism shown in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side, cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the cup raised from the saucer.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the different views.

Illustrative of the embodiment shown by the drawings, my vibrating cup 10 comprises a circular wall 12, to which there is attached an ear or handle 14, and a base 16 integral with the wall 12 and raised above the lower edge of the wall 12, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, to define a recessed area thereunder. The cup 10 rests upon a fiat plate or saucer 18, so that the lower edge of its wall 12 contacts the surface of the saucer 18, spacing the bottom base 16 therefrom, as shown in FIG. 2.

The cup 10 is provided with a circular, water-tight plate or disc 20, preferably made of plastic material, which is of a diameter greater than that of the base 16 and smaller than that of the open end 22 of the cup 10, so that it fits against the wall 12 between the base 16 and the open end 22, as shown in FIG. .2. The disc 20 is provided with an annular groove 24 around its edge, in which there is disposed a rubber ring 26, adapted to abut the wall 12, and is further provided with an integral central enlargement 28 on its undersurface, whereby the disc 20 is tightly secured against the wall 12 by the engagement of a screw 30 passing up through the bottom 16 of the cup 10 and threaded into the central enlargement 28 of the disc 20, thereby defining a hollow compartment 32 between bottom 16 and the disc 20. By this water-tight engagement of the disc 20 with the walls 12, liquids poured into the cup 10 will remain above the disc 20, and with dark liquids and beverages, such as coffee, there will appear to be no intermediate disc 20 or false. bottom for the cup 10.

Within the compartment 32 there is provided a nOnconductive disc 34, preferably of a plastic material, cut out, as at 36, for purposes to be hereinafter disclosed, provided with a central opening 35, through which the screw 30 passes. A small motor 38, provided with a shaft 40, is mounted upon the disc 34, and, adjacent thereto, there are secured a pair of conductive brackets 42 and 44, adapted to hold a small dry cell or battery 46, so that the terminals of the battery 46 are in contact with the respective brackets 42 and 44. The bracket 42 is wired to one terminal of the motor 38, while the other terminal of the motor 38 is wired to a contact element 52 secured in the disc 34 on a line with the bracket. 44. A spring steel contact plate 54 is secured to the disc 34 below the bracket 44 and in contact therewith, and extends across the disc 34 so that its free end contacts the element 52, thereby effecting a circuit between the battery 46 and the motor 38. To the undersurface of the contact plate 54, adjacent the element 52, there is secured an activating pin 56 which extends vertically therefrom through the disc 34 and out of the cup 10 through an opening 58 in the base 16, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 5. The activating pin 56 is slightly longer than the distance between the contact plate 54, when in engagement with the element 52, and the plane of the lower edge 60 of the wall 16, so that when the cup 10 stands on a flat surface, such as the saucer 18, as shown in FIG. 2, the pin 56 raises the contact plate 54 from engagement with the element 52, thereby breaking the circuit, and when the cup is raised from the saucer 18 the pin 56 descends freely through the opening 58, permitting the contact plate 54 to engage the element 52 and thereby close the circuit.

The free end of the motor shaft 40 is provided with an eccentrically weighted member 62 which overhangs the cutout 36 of the disc 34, and is adapted to be freely rotatable upon activation of the motor 38.

The disc 34 is of a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the base 16, and is secured to the wall 12, so that it is spaced sufficiently from the base 16 to allow free movement of the member 62 within the cut-out 36.

In the assembly of my invention the disc 34, on which is mounted the motor 38 and its activating elements, is secured to the wall 12 of the cup 10, above the base 16, so that the pin 56 descends through the opening 58 in the base 16, and the disc 20 is then mounted in place by means of the screw 30, the cup 10 being placed upon a flat surface, such as the saucer 18, so that the pin 56 is forced upward, raising the contact plate 54 from engagement with the element 52, the circuit being thus open and the motor 38 inoperative.

In operation, liquid, such as coffee, is poured into the cup 10, hiding the disc 20, so that the cup 10 has the appearance of an ordinary, standard cup. When the unsuspecting guest raises the cup 10, however, the pin 56 is released, permitting the contact plate 54 to engage the element 52 and close the circuit, whereupon the rotation of the shaft 40 and the eccentrically weighted member 62 causes the cup 10 to shake and vibrate. This continues until the cup 10 is again placed upon the saucer 18, whereupon the circuit is broken, as indicated above.

It is to be noted that the above described embodiment is shown by way of illustration and not of limitation, and various changes may be made in the construction, composition and arrangement of parts without limitation upon or departure from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof inherent therein, all of which are claimed.

Having described by invention, I claim:

1. A vibrating cup comprising a circular wall, open at its upper end and closed at its lower end by a base integral with the wall, a disc disposed intermediate the upper end and the base of the cup,

parallel to their planes and in water-tight engagement with the circular wall,

an electrical circuit disposed between the disc and the base of the cup,

the circuit being supported on a disc mounted over the base of the cup and comprising battery means connected to a motor,

a rotatable shaft for the motor,

an eccentrically disposed weight secured to the shaft and freely rotatable therewith,

means to open the circuit when the cup is placed upon a flat surface and means to close the circuit when the cup is raised therefrom.

2. A vibrating cup as described in claim 1, the means to open and close the circuit comprising a spring contact plate bridging two contact terminals in the circuit for closing the circuit and secured to one of the terminals,

an activating pin secured to the undersurface of the contact plate adjacent the other terminal and extending freely downwardly therefrom and through an opening in the cup base,

the pin being of a length greater than the distance between the contact plate in engagement with the bridged terminals and the plane of the lower edge of the circular wall to open said circuit.

3. A vibrating cup as described in claim 2, the disc in engagement with the circular wall intermediate the open end of the cup and its base provided with an annular groove in its edge and a rubber ring disposed therein,

the disc being locked into engagement with the circular wall by a screw entering through the base of the cup and threaded into the nndersurface of the disc.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,835,908 12/1931 Shipley 27227 2,314,472 3/ 1943 Appel 27227 2,991,575 7/ 1961 Pearson. 3,046,683 7/1962 Buh, et all 272-8 X 3,066,934 12/1962 Frampton 27227 ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner.

0 ARNOLD W. KRAMER, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 46243 

